


He Doesn't Know Who I Am (Why Does He Give a Damn?)

by transteverogers



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Riding, Spiderman AU, Top!Liam, bottom!Zayn, dont judge me, idk i just like writing porn in the epilogues, its 4am and im about to pass out, marvel AU, ok enough tags just read the fic plEASE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 00:50:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2089455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transteverogers/pseuds/transteverogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn got bit by a radioactive spider. </p><p>A fucking spider though. </p><p>He always hated those stupid things. </p><p>(AKA the one where you all find out how much of a marvel nerd I truly am and I write an entire fic in two sittings, both after midnight)</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Doesn't Know Who I Am (Why Does He Give a Damn?)

**Author's Note:**

> This is idea actually came to me ages ago when I was listening to One Direction's cover of Teenage Dirtbag bc ok, popular!liam and nerdypining!zayn PLUS superheros? SIGN ME UP so yeah I finally started on this a few days ago and just wrote 10k one night and then the rest the other night and now I'm sleep deprived. find me on tumblr at [squishyliampayne](http://squishyliampayne.tumblr.com/)

In all honesty, Zayn’s life both ended and started when he got bit by a fucking spider.

 

A spider.

 

In a lab.

 

His school was on some field trip to the local science centre which also doubled as their town’s only science lab.

 

Next thing Zayn knows, he’s got webs shooting out of his wrist, enhanced strength, superhuman reflexes and agility and he can freaking climb on walls.

 

“You can what?” Zayn’s best (and only friend) Harry whisper hisses about a week after Zayn figures out what he can do.

 

Zayn nods, pacing in front of him and tugging his fingers thorugh his usually perfect hair. “Webs Harry, webs. I’m freakin’ out man.”

 

Harry raises his eyebrow. “Show me.”

 

“I- what?”

 

He nods. “Show me.”

 

Zayn takes a deep breath before throwing his arm out, palm facing up ward and reaching inside of him. Next thing he knows, he feels that odd tingling feeling coming from his heart (as cheesy as it was) and moving towards his wrist and shooting out, covering Harry’s wall. “Webs!” Zayn repeats again, voice an octave higher than usual.

 

“Holy shit.” Harry whispers, getting up off his bed and looking at the web that had hit his wall. He touches it gingerly, unsure if it will hurt him or not. It doesn’t. “Zayn this is…”

 

“Horribly insanely bad?” Zayn supplies but Harry surprises him by grinning.

 

“No, this is amazing Zayn!”

 

________________________________________________

 

A year later, a lot has changed for Zayn.

 

He told his mother out of desperation about being the Spider-Man (the title was given to him by the local newspaper. Zayn has to admit, it fits) and luckily enough for him, she didn’t completely freak out. She’s still a little mad about him going out in the middle of the night to hunt bad guys but, like Harry says, he’s a superhero now. He has a responsibility.

 

… Ok, maybe not that much has changed. Just his nightlife, really, and not in the I’m-getting-laid-every-night sorta way but in the I-get-no-sleep-because-I’m-fighting-bad-guys-until-4am-on-a-school-night sorta way. Zayn snorts softly to himself. I wonder how many kids can say that.

 

Zayn checks his phone for a text from Harry, but he knows it’ll be useless. Harry wasn’t the type to text while driving anyways.

 

“Ready for the first day back at school love?” His mother asks as she grabs her own jacket, getting ready to leave for work.

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Zayn mutters, but smiles at her.

 

She laughs and kiss the top of his head lightly. “Sure you don’t need me to drop you off?”

 

Zayn shakes his head, already hearing Harry’s loud motorcycle engine. “Nah, that’ll be Harry. I’ll see you tonight mum.”

 

“Be safe.” She warns, knowing that she might not actually see Zayn tonight if something pops up for him.

 

“Always.” He promises as she goes out the door. Zayn finishes up his breakfast before grabbing his bag and going outside to wait for Harry, who already is waiting in the driveway. “Weren’t waiting long?” He asks.

 

Harry shakes his head before throwing him his helmet that Zayn catches with ease. “Nope.” He says, grinning as he tugs on his own helmet again and climbing onto his bike. Zayn gets on behind him, holding onto his body. “Ready?”

 

He doesn’t wait for Zayn’s reply, just backs out of the driveway and zooms to school. Zayn has to admit, nothing beats going through the city via webs (shooting them out and swinging from building to building is something he never thought he’d enjoy- or actually get to try), but riding around on the back of Harry’s motorcycle is definitely a close second.

 

The drive to school never lasts long, and before Zayn knows it, they’re pulling into the parking lot. Zayn climbs off the back and hands his helmet to Harry after he stops it, looking around at the crowd of people. They’ve earned a couple of looks from the freshmen, but most of the older years are used to seeing motorcycle around. They were popular here in New York.

 

Just as Zayn’s looking around, his eyes fall on a group of people loudly hanging out around a beat up truck.

 

Ah, the popular crowd.

 

First you had Ms. Eleanor Calder, queen bee of the school. She was undeniably gorgeous, rich and just the right mix of mean, nice and stupid to fit in with their crowd. Then her half brother, Louis Tomlinson (there was a whole affair about that). He was the loudest, snarkiest and down right sassiest guy anyone would ever meet. Piss him off, and good luck making it through the school year. There were others in the crowd too, of course there were, they were the rich kids of New York, all of them living in downtown penthouses with their little vacation homes just outside of the city but then there was their charity case.

 

Liam Payne.

 

Funny, smart and athletic. Not rich like the rest of them, but good looking enough to fit in even with his non designer brand clothes. And, hell, unlike the rest of them, Liam was nice. Zayn had talked to him a couple different times and the boy didn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. He wonders sometimes why Liam even hung out with them, but he reckons it has to do with the fact that he’s the quarterback on the football team and also Louis’s best friend.

 

Harry catches Zayn looking at the crowd and snorts. “You gonna actually talk to Liam this year?”

 

Zayn raises an eyebrow and him as the two star to walk into the school building. “And say what?”

 

“’Hi Liam I’m Zayn and I’ve been madly in love with you since freshman year.’” Harry says, mocking Zayn’s voice horribly. Zayn knocks their shoulders together, perhaps a bit harder than he meant too (enhanced strength, you never do get used to it).

 

“Shut up.” He hisses, face turning a shade redder than it should be.

 

Harry rolls his eyes as they get to the office. “C’mon, no one even cares. This is high school.”

 

“Oh really so I can just go up to Louis Tomlinson and-” Zayn starts to say before Harry cuts him off.

 

“First, I don’t like him. I think he’s ridiculously fit and I would love to get into those sweatpants with him.” Harry says, opening the door. “And second, you have social anxiety issues which unable you from talking to people other than myself or Niall.” He smirks as Zayn glares, leaning against the wall as Harry gets their schedules.

 

So maybe he was slightly right about the social anxiety thing but, hey, Zayn could talk to new people if he wants to… He just… Doesn’t want to, is all. He nods to himself, agreeing. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Liam and Louis coming towards the office and quickly debates if he should run into the bathroom just across the hall and ditch Harry or just wait.

 

His mind is made up for him as Harry comes out of the office just as Louis tries to go in (damn those two boys are fast walkers, holy shit), causing the two of them to crash together.

 

“Watch where you’re going.” Louis says.

 

Harry snorts, rolling his eyes. “Maybe you should.”

 

Louis’s eyebrows shoot up into his hair. “Excuse me. Who the fuck are you?”

 

Harry gives him a fake smile that looks more like a grimace than anything. “Oh, no one you’re highness, just a lowly poor person that your rich ass wouldn’t have the decency to apologise to.”

 

Zayn can’t help but snort out a laugh, causing both Liam and Louis to look at him. He shuts his mouth rather quickly and Louis turns back to Harry. “Who the hell are you freshman?”

 

Harry’s eyebrows raise this time. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He lets out an annoyed sigh. “We’ve shared at least one class together every year since 4th grade you dumb fucker.”

 

Louis gives him a sickly sweet fake smile. “Can’t say you’re ringing any bells, but I’d be happy to give you an autograph.”

 

Harry lets out an annoyed noise before he grabs Zayn by the bicep and pulls him away, completely fuming. “What an asshole.” He growls, shoving Zayn his schedule. “‘I’d be happy to give you an autograph.’” He mocks Louis in a too high pitch voice. “Little fucker I’ll show him, god I hate him and his stupid hair and his stupid eyes and his stupid cute face and-”

 

“You’re doing it again.” Zayn says.

 

“Doing what?” Harry growls at him.

 

“You’re not mad at me, remember.” Zayn points out. “And you’re doing the thing where you call him stupid but you’re complimenting him.” He pauses. “You do that a lot actually.”

 

“Yeah well, I hate him.” Harry says, stopping at a locker and angrily putting in the combination on his schedule. Zayn looks at the locker numbers and travels a couple farther down until he gets to his own, calmly putting in his combination.

 

“Uh huh.” Zayn says, taking off his bag and putting it into the locker before looking at his schedule again. “What homeroom do you have?”

 

“English.” Harry mutters, shoving his bag into the locker. “You?”

 

Zayn smiles. “Same.”

 

The two boys head to their shared class, snagging seats in the back corner as they usually do. They don’t really pay attention to who’s coming in but of course they notice Liam and Louis coming in without their usual crowd of people. Harry glares at Louis before turning to Zayn. “I wasn’t too harsh was I?” He whispers, like he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s actually a huge softie even if about 99.99% of the population already does.

 

Zayn laughs softly. “You’re fine.”

 

“I just.” Harry huffs, quickly glancing over to Louis. “He makes me so mad but I don’t want to be mean y’know? Who knows what his home life is like.”

 

“Ever so kind.” Zayn says in a dry voice, dodging Harry’s hand that’s trying to hit him over the head with a grin, turning to face the front as the teacher walks in the door seconds before the bell rings.

 

________________________________________________

 

School goes quickly enough (or not, really, it always seems too go fast yet slow for Zayn even if that really isn’t possible) and next thing Zayn knows, he’s sitting in the library, books propped up in front of him, reading. It wasn’t for school (even teachers realise that the first day is not the day to hand out homework), but instead for Zayn’s own pleasure. He usually chose to read in the library (school or otherwise) because it didn’t have the distractions that his home did so he’s able to actually finish the book.

 

“Uh… Is this seat taken?” A voice asks from in front of Zayn. Liam.

 

He raises his head and takes a out a headphone, the library seemly deadly quiet now that Zayn can actually hear it. “Uh yeah.” He says before realising that’s the wrong thing to say. “I mean, no. It’s not free- I mean taken.” He can feel himself getting flustered and he really wants to punch himself in the face and knock himself out because surly that’s less embarrassing than this. “You can sit.” He mumbles, putting his head back down to focus on his book but he keeps one headphone out because he didn’t put it back in right away and now it’s just rude to put it in.

 

They sit in a soft silence, the music coming from Zayn’s headphones just loud enough for Liam to make out the words if he wants and Zayn just hopes nothing embarrassing starts playing. “So uh,” Liam starts to say. “What’re you reading?”

 

Zayn looks around at the title of the book because if he’s being honest, he’s not reading that book, he’s reading-

 

Well, he’s got a comic inside of it and he’s reading that.

 

Harry likes to laugh at him when he reads them because “You’re basically a comic book character Zayn, it’s ironic.”

 

“Uh, Pride and Prejudice.” He says, wincing slightly. Great. He just had to choose the one book on his shelf that he hasn’t a) actually read and b) is one of the world’s best known love stories. Fucking ace man. He thinks to himself sarcastically.

 

Liam nods. “I had to read that in sophomore year for a project.” He laughs. “Where are you in it?”

 

Oh, jesus, the world really wasn’t up to giving Zayn a break today. Thanks karma I’ll remember that when I’m beating up some jackass for the good of the world, he thinks bitterly. “I’m uh, I’m actually reading-” He pulls up the tip of his comic, his face going multiple shades darker.

 

Liam brightens up when he sees the comic. “You like comics?” Zayn nods, slightly cautious as Liam barrels on, actually managing to hold a conversation about comic books that he’s read and Zayn finds himself nodding along, even adding into the conversation a couple different times.

 

And Harry says I can’t talk to people He thinks proudly to himself before glancing down at his vibration phone. Niall.

 

“Uh, shit, do you uh mind-?” He says, holding up the phone and Liam just nods, smiling at him.

 

“Niall, mate, what’s up?” He says, hoping to god he doesn’t loudly shout anything but it might as well be in vain.

 

“411 mate!” He yells.

 

Zayn laughs nervously, glancing at Liam quickly. “Niall, no need to shout I’m in a library.” With someone he adds silently and hopes to dear god Niall understands.

 

“Oh, Haz dere wit’ ya?” Niall asks, accent heavy. “I tried ta get him- he’s a lot more reliable than ya mate.” He laughs.

 

“Uh, no, not Harry.” Zayn says. “But what’d you need.”

 

“Oh ya know, the usual.” He can hear Niall shuffling things around. “Did ya know dere’s a sale on jewlery on 5th street? I was thinkin’ bout gettin’ somethin’ for ma mam.”

 

Robbery on 5th street. Zayn smirks slightly. And they called him stupid for waiting code words.

 

“I was just leaving the library, actually.” Zayn says. “Should I swing by your place?” Read: Is there anything else I need to know?

 

“Nah man!” Niall hangs up the phone and Zayn turns back to Liam, smiling at him slightly.

 

“I gotta go.” Zayn says, grabbing his bag off the back of his chair.

 

Liam waves him off. “S’fine, I need to finish up the last book on the summer reading list.”

 

Zayn raises an eyebrow at him. “Those were supposed to be read during the summer.”

 

Liam laughs. “I’m a slow reader.”

 

“Well, uh, bye.” Zayn says awkwardly before turning around and wincing at how bloody stupid and awkward he sounded. God. He jogs to one of the washrooms near the front of the school, checking to make sure it was clear before ducking into a stall and digging to the bottom of his bag for what looked like a small key chain. It was just a small little box with a button on the top, but inside of it was Zayn’s suit.

 

The key chain was one of Niall’s incredible inventions.

 

He presses the button, the box top opening and the suit folding out quickly. He yanks his own clothes off, shoving them into the bag and then pulling the spandex (he knew how stupid spandex was but it was incredibly useful. Didn’t stray from you body and this stuff was reinforced, too. You’d need one helluva strong gun to get a bullet through it. Knifes though, they still made it through… He’d have to talk to Niall about fixing that) suit, tugging the mask over his face.

 

“Niall?” He says, pressing on his ear to make sure that the ear peice was on.

 

“Right ‘ere mate.” Niall says in his ear. “Details?”

 

“Please.” Zayn says, before heading to one of the windows to sneak out off. He runs through the shadows of the school before he hits the streets, going along the rooftops of house silently as Niall chatters away in his ear.

 

“Dis is the second one taday mate.” Niall says, typing on his keyboard. “First one was nuting, just a couple of B&E guys tryin’ ta make a little more, police got dum. But dese guys have hostages, da police won’t do anything.”

 

Zayn nods, coming up on the corner of 5th street. He can see the cops surrounding one of the local jewelry stores. It wasn’t as high end (those stores were on 3rd street) but the hostage factor made it a little more important. “I get in, beat them up, get out?” Zayn says, perched on the top of a building across the street. No one’s noticed him yet.

 

“Kick ‘em out on deir arses.” Niall says gleefully and Zayn snorts softly.

 

“Aye aye.” He mutters, shooting out a web to the top of the building across from him, grabbing onto it with both hands and swinging down with his feet out. He swings by the police easily, feet hitting through the glass (which is probably bullet proof or something, but he’s got basically diamond cutters on the bottom of his feet. Thank you Niall) which shatters around him as he lands in an ease crouch.

 

The two robbers are smirking, like this is exactly what they wanted.

 

“Boys.” Zayn says, effortlessly slipping into his hero roll. “I’m gonna give you a chose here. Either you can let the police handle you,” He gets up, standing to his full height. “Or I can handle you.”

 

One of them (goon #1) grunts, laughing. “What are you gonna do to us?”

 

“Seriously?” Zayn says in disbelief. “I just swung in here on a web. That came from my wrist, just FYI. Who the hell are you two anyways?”

 

“Your worst nightmare.” The other one (goon #2) says, charging for him. Zayn just sighs, shooting out a web and swinging off to the side. He comes around in a full circle, his foot hitting the guy’s face, probably breaking a few bones.

 

Good.

 

He drops back down into a crouch but doesn’t stay there for long, running towards the other guy. The goon goes low, giving Zayn the perfect opportunity to jump up and around his neck, careful not to smash his balls into the guy’s face before tightening and twist his body, taking him down. In the back of his mind, he can feel what Niall and Harry both like to call his “spidey senses” tingling, knowing that the other one is getting back up. He throws out his arm, a web shooting out and pinning him to a wall. He gets off goon #2 and shoots another web, making sure that he’s going to stay down.

 

He glances over to the three hostages (a couple and an older lay), checking that they’re all safe and nods before going to the broken window where people are watching in silence.

 

“Don’t you have a job to do?” Zayn asks and that sends everyone in a flurry. News reporters are trying to talk to him, police coming onto the scene but Zayn just shoots off a web, flying out of the scene as Niall buzzes in his ear.

 

“Anoter robbery in da makin’ Z.” He says as Zayn swings through the streets, not really caring to be discreet now that everyone probably knows he’s out and about.

 

“Where am I going?” Zayn says, letting himself fall a couple feet before shooting out another web. He loves this feeling, the falling and catching. Nothing beat it.

 

“3rd street.” Niall says, “You’ll know what store when ya get dere but uh, don’t use the same smash-trough-da-front-window sorta tactic. Dese guys have guns, Dey’ve already shot people.”

 

“Any casualties yet or just injuries?” Zayn asks, a fire bubbling in his stomach. Goons he can let the police deal with. Goons with guns, well, they’re messing with Zayn’s town.

 

“Injuries ta a local police man. Nothing fatal, just a shot in the shin.” Niall says, typing away at lightening speed on the other end. “Dere’s a hatch on ta roof of ta bulidin’, dere’s two different routes ta take. One way will drop ya in the vault at ta back and ta other will bring you to ta front room.”

 

“Do we know which room they’re in?” Zayn asks, swinging around the corner and on to the street. He knows right away which one is the store being robbed. “Also, what time is it? I’ve gotta be home before mum tonight.”

 

“Your mam’s gonna be home in ‘bout an hour.” Niall says. Jesus, how long was in the other store. It didn’t seem like that long. “And dey’re probably in the vault, ta front room is all glass windows, we’d be able ta see dem if dey were in dere.”

 

“How many hostages?” Zayn asks, landing on the top of the building, trying to block out the flashes of the cameras. Can’t they tell he’s trying to a job right now?

 

“We don’t know, ta plice tink at least 3 though.” Niall says as Zayn goes to the vent. He grabs with two hands and pulls, the metal groaning under his strength and it breaks soon enough and he slips in, thankful for being so thin. “Once you’re in, go ta ya left.” Zayn does as he’s told, crawling softly that way and listening to the instructions Niall gives him. “Ta tunnel’ll break inta two ‘ere, take da left way Z and den stop at ta first vent down. Ya’ll be in ta vault after tat.”

 

“Thanks Niall.” He says, stopping where he told him to. He looks down, getting a view of the vault. It doesn’t look very big, and he can’t see the captors, but he can see the hostages. Another couple by the looks of it, older this time, with a younger girl and…

 

Fucking Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.

 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” He mutters. “Niall, tell the police there are five hostages. An older couple and what looks like their daughter as well as Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.”

 

“Wait Liam Payne as in ta guy ya have a crush on ta size of America?” Niall laughs and Zayn can’t help but blush.

 

“Yes, that one.” He says. “And who the hell told you?”

 

“Harry, who ya tink?” Niall says. “Now get in dere an’ save ya damsel in distress.”

 

“He’s not-” Zayn starts to say but then he can see the goons and they look a lot bigger than the two he took down just before. “Shit ok, I have a job but we’re talking about this later. And Harry too, what the fuck he can’t just tell people. God.”

 

He doesn’t wait for Niall’s reply, just kicks in the vent and lands on the ground in a crouch, perfect as always. He stands up right away, grinning at the goons even if they can’t see his face. “Now, who the hell do you think you are?” He says, looking at the three of them. They weren’t wearing masks (rooky mistake) so Zayn figures by the looks of them, they’ve got to be triplets or something. Brothers at the very least.

 

The first one smiles at him and he’s missing more than a couple teeth so Zayn dubs him Toothless in his head. But not the cool Toothless like the dragon in How To Train Your Dragon because that Toothless is fucking adorable and this guy… Is really not. “We’re your-”

 

“Worst nightmare?” Zayn supplies. “Second time I’ve heard that today and it’s really old. Like, seriously, everyone says that to me. I mean, do I not look menacing enough? Tell me, is it the spandex?” He pretends to think, like this is a really serious problem to him as Toothless charges at him. He jumps, sticking onto the ceiling before dropping back down in a classic wrestling move. He uses his elbow to hit the guy on the back of his neck and Toothless drops like a fly. He laughs, grinning to himself. “I’ve got to use that more, holy shit that was fun.”

 

“Brian!” One of the brothers (let’s call him Greasy, Zayn supplies himself) calls, stepping forward towards his brother before turning to charge at Zayn, fists out. He lands a couple hits on Zayn before Zayn manages to duck away, sliding along the floor and kicking out a leg and hitting his ankle, throwing Greasy off balance. Sadly enough though, it messes Zayn up too, and the third one (Chuckles, just for the sake of things) grabs his out stretched leg, yanking him upside down before dropping him on his head. He throws his hands out, making himself roll it off, even if it kills his right hand and now he’s standing up in between the two of them, looking back and forth.

 

“Alrighty, which of you is first?” Zayn asks cockily (it’s his thing, he thinks, being just a little bit on the wrong side of confident). “I’ve got a homemade meal waiting for me and I’m dying for it and a nice lie down so if we can hurry this thing along…”

 

They both crack their knuckles in sync before nodding at each other and charging at the same time. Zayn barely has time to roll his eyes before he jumps up, feet landing on their heads before he smashes them together, both dropping.

 

“Seriously? That move?” Zayn rolls his eyes before turning to the hostages. “Go out the front door, one at a time, hands up and in plain sight. Tell the police the guys they’re looking for are in here and that maybe next time if they could do their job, I wouldn’t have to.”

 

He doesn’t wait to see if the hostages make it out ok (he’s been in this situation too many times and he doesn’t want to get caught up outside in the reporters and police) just jumps up and back up into the vent, finding his way out and swinging back home, just shy of an hour late to dinner.

 

________________________________________________

 

Later that night, when Zayn can’t sleep, he’s out in the city, occasionally moving from building to building, watching as the citizens move beneath him before finally settling in on top of a building across from an apartment building. He watches each window for a few seconds, noting how none of his senses are tingling. The night is safe.

 

“I dunno Lou…” He hears someone say and he can’t help but smile to himself because of course he picked the building where Liam lives. “I think you’re over thinking all of this.” He hears Liam pause, then laugh. “Yeah, as if.”

 

Zayn grabs the mask from around his waist, tugging it on before shooting out a web and swinging towards the building on a whim and-

 

“Fuck.” Zayn groans, his hip hitting the corner of the stone balcony and he can feel it cut into his hip as he rolls onto the ground.

 

“Shit, Lou, I’ll call you back.” Liam says, hurrying out to the balcony. “Crap oh my god, shit, you’re hurt.”

 

Zayn groans again, rolling over to his front and getting up. “That was horribly embarrassing I swear I’m usually better at this.” He looks down at his hip, the fabric cut only where he hit the corner and he pokes at it with a morbid interest.

 

“Don’t do that.” Liam automatically scolds. “I mean. Uh. Shit, wait here I’ll be like, right back.” He runs into his room and Zayn slumps against the balcony railing, cursing himself softly.

 

“Even with a mask you’re making a fool of yourself.” He mutters. “Get yourself together.”

 

A few seconds later, Liam’s coming back out with a first aid kit in his hands. “Do you mind if I-?” Zayn shakes his head, motioning for him to continue. He grabs a cloth and puts some disinfectant on it before getting closer. “This is gonna hurt.” He warns.

 

Zayn huffs. “I beat up 5 different- jesus fucking christ, fuck!” He swears, jumping back from Liam. “What the fuck?”

 

Liam, surprisingly, lets out a laugh. “I told you it would hurt.”

 

“That was more than hurt.” Zayn says and he knows the pout is evident in his voice.

 

Liam rolls his eyes but he’s grinning at Zayn. “Yeah well, while you’re fighting you’ve got adrenaline in your system. You don’t feel the pain as much, if at all. It’d be some sort of miracle to study your body.”

 

“Are you flirting with me?” Zayn can’t help but smirk as Liam’s entire face goes red and he starts trying to fluster out a response.

 

“I- no! I mean- I meant it from a scientific point of view!” Liam says and Zayn laughs.

 

“Relax Liam, I was teasing you.” He leans back against the railing, gripping it. “Alright, you gonna try again?” He asks.

 

Liam nods, getting closer and gently pressing the cloth against his wound. It hurts, yeah, but Zayn just hisses and tights his grip on the stone. “I never told you my name.” Liam says softly as he cleans it.

 

“Yeah, well.” Zayn says, scrambling for an excuse to know it. “You’re all over the news.”

 

Liam finishes cleaning it, pressing the cloth to the wound to try and stop the bleeding. “Thank you.” He says, looking up at Zayn. “For saving me.”

 

Zayn lets out a small laugh. “It’s my job.”

 

“Still doesn’t mean I can’t thank you.” He gets up. They’re roughly the same height but Liam’s got broader shoulders than him, bigger muscles. It makes Zayn feel small but… Not in the way that the big goons do. It feels more… Safe. “It seems like no one ever thanks you.”

 

Zayn shrugs. “I don’t do it for the thanks.” He says honestly.

 

“What are you doing it for then, if not the fame and attention?” Liam asks curiously.

 

“The feeling I get when I save someone.” Zayn replies. He’s never told anyone why he really started this whole superhero business. Niall and Harry suspect it, but Zayn’s never confirmed it. “I like to think I’m putting a bit good back in the world with these mutations. I like to know I’m making a difference. That little girl will grow up now knowing that, no matter how dark the world is, people can be saved or save others. That couple is able to bring another life into the world, maybe. Your friend is going to be able to take over his father’s business and get married.”

 

“And me?” Liam whispers.

 

“You get to help patch me up when I come crashing into your balcony.” Zayn jokes because this moment is getting a little too serious for him to handle.

 

Liam cracks a small smile, pulling the now red cloth back. The wound bleeds a little bit more, but not much. It was more of a surface wound than anything. “What ever would our lovely Spider-Man do without me?”

 

“Run into buildings, hurt myself and not have anyone to patch me up.” He supplies. “I’d be dead in a week.”

 

Liam laughs, putting the stuff back into the first aid kit. “I’m serious about the thank you though. You don’t get half the recognition you deserve… I don’t understand why people want to hate you.”

 

Zayn laughs but it’s not as cheerful. “I’m the different. We fear what we do not understand.”

 

Liam gives him an honest smile. “I don’t think you’re all that different.”

 

“I shoot webs out of my wrist and can climb walls.” Zayn points out. “How is that not different?”

 

“Your morals.” Liam says. “You just want to help. You don’t care for recognition or thanks.”

 

“Wouldn’t get them anyways.” Zayn points out.

 

Liam shrugs. “Well consider this the city’s thank you, from the son of your biggest hater.”

 

Zayn’s eyebrows raise at the world ‘hater’. “Your father doesn’t like me? How am I not sure you didn’t just poison me?”

 

Liam’s eyes harden ever so slightly. “I’m not my father.”

 

“I didn’t say you were.” Zayn treads carefully.

 

“Sorry.” Liam apologises for snapping. “I just. I can tell when someone’s actually trying to help. My father… Well… He thinks you’re more of a menace to society than good.” He rolls his eyes, grabbing the kit and heading back inside. Zayn makes the split second decision to jump off the balcony, but he hides underneath it, sticking only because he wants to know what Liam says when he’s gone.

 

That’s not creepy… Right?

 

“And anyways-” Liam starts to say as he comes back out but then he sighs when he doesn’t see Zayn. “Well, you’re gone.” He snorts. “You’re welcome for patching you up. If you’re still here or… Whatever.” He sighs again. “Great job there Liam.” He mutters to himself. “You just had to bring up dad, didn’t you?” He goes back inside, closing the balcony door behind him.

 

________________________________________________

 

Zayn’s sitting in the library during his free period the next day, headphones in but music not playing. Sometimes he just wants to hear the silence that the library brings but he doesn’t want people talking to him. He used that strategy a lot.

 

“You talked to Spider-Man Liam what the fuck?” He hears someone hiss loudly on the other side of the bookshelf.

 

“Jesus Louis,” Liam says and there’s a smacking sound followed. “Talk a little louder will you, I don’t think Zayn heard you.” He pauses, putting a book back on the shelf. “Anyways, he was just checking up on me I think.”

 

“First off, Spider-Man? He doesn’t do check ups. I mean, hello, I didn’t get one.” Louis says as they come around the corner. “And besides, Malik can’t hear shit with those fucking headphones on.”

 

Liam smirks as they go down the isle on the other side of Zayn. “So we can talk about your massive hard-on for his best friend.”

 

Louis groans and it sounds like someone’s hitting his head off of the bookshelf multiple times and Zayn has to stifle a laugh. “Don’t bring that up.” He says. “God, I was such an asshole what the fuck was I thinking? ‘I’d be happy to give you an autograph.’” He says, mocking himself. “We’ve had classes together since 3rd grade, not 4th- not that he’d remember I didn’t come in till the end of the year- and he’s hated me ever since I stole his snacks and pulled on his long ass hair.”

 

“Ever tried having a normal conversation with him?” Liam asks with a sigh.

 

“I can’t have a ‘normal conversation’ with him Liam!” Louis yells, even if they’re in the library. Someone obviously doesn’t understand the no talking rule. “He hates me, ok?”

 

Zayn doesn’t bother ease dropping onto the rest of their conversation, just presses play on his iPod and lets soft music fill his ears as he pulls himself back into his comic.

 

________________________________________________

 

About a week later, and a string of more half asses robberies later, Zayn’s heading back to his house in the shadows still wearing his suit after a particularly bad beating. These last guys didn’t know how to rob a bank, but they sure as hell knew how to fight. Zayn was thinking about heading to Niall’s training room tomorrow, depending on how badly his body hurt.

 

He’s swinging past a back alley way when he gets that familiar tingling sensation in the back of his head that makes him pause, sticking to the wall of the alley, higher up.

 

“C’mon, pretty boy, give us your money.” A goon that sounds like he’s been smoking 3 packs a day says.

 

“I don’t have any.” The victim says in a very calm voice, hands up in the air. Zayn recognises the voice, because of course he does. He never catches a break. “You can see I have no jewelry on me either. You can just-”

 

“And have you press charges on us?” The second one laughs and Zayn catches a glint of sliver in his hand and, really, Zayn cannot catch a break like this is getting ridiculous. He lets out a sigh, dropping to the ground and landing in front of Liam.

 

“No, I’m just gonna beat your wimpy little asses into the pavement.” Zayn says in a bored tone. “Then I’m gonna go home and take a nap like I’ve been dying to do for ages.”

 

The two criminals realise who he is right away and they’re tripping each other to get away quicker and, ok, that was nice and easy. “Man maybe I should do smaller crime if that’s all it takes.” He says, before turning to Liam. “What the hell are you doing on this side of town?” He pauses. “I mean all sides of this town are crime ridden like why do people even live here but this side is worse. Don’t you have a home to go to?”

 

“I have to ask a sort-of friend a favour.” Liam says with a small laugh.

 

“A sort-of friend?” Zayn asks.

 

Liam shrugs, leaning against a wall. “I mean, we sit together after school for usually an hour, sometimes less, sometimes more and we talk.” He pauses. “I talk, I guess. He doesn’t say much.” Fuck that sort-of friend is him. “Shit I think he actually might hate me.” Liam frowns at the thought.

 

Zayn laughs because, ok, that’s the biggest lie because if anything, he crush on Liam? Has grown like, triplet in size. “I’m sure he doesn’t hate you.” Though he does hate how much of a danger magnet you are Zayn thinks to himself. “And has anyone ever told you how much of a danger magnet you are?”

 

Liam shrugs. “I don’t go looking for trouble, it finds me.”

 

“Did you just quote Harry Potter to me?” Zayn asks, surprised.

 

He laughs. “I’m surprised you even caught that.”

 

Zayn shrugs. He can’t help it if he’s a secret nerd. “I was a normal kid once.” He looks over Liam. “Do you think you’ll be safe to walk the rest of the way or do you need me to walk you?” He asks, slightly cocky.

 

Liam rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning. “I think I can manage. Shouldn’t be too far.” He winks at Zayn. “Though if I’m as much of a danger magnet as you say, we should be seeing each other soon.”

 

You have no idea. “Let’s hope not.” Zayn says, shooting out a web and pulling himself up the building, going back to swinging from building to building, heading back home as quickly and discreetly as he can. He swings into his always open window (he should probably close that sometimes), quickly pulling off his suit and shoving it in the back of his closet, throwing dirty clothes on top of it. He’s standing in the middle of his room in his boxers when the doorbell rings. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck.” He mutters, grabbing a pair of sweat pants and tugging them on before running down the stairs. He stops momentarily in front of one of the mirrors, messing up his hair just right before opening the door. “Uh, ‘ello.” He says, acting surprised to see Liam there.

 

Liam’s eyes dart to his bare chest before back up to his face and Zayn’s face goes red and he crosses his arms. He forgot to grab a fucking shirt. “Uh… Hi.” Liam squeaks out, adverting his eyes.

 

“So uh. What are you doing here.” Zayn means to ask it, he really does, but it comes out as a statement and really rude instead. Oops.

 

“I um, I wanted to ask you a favour.” Liam says with a red face.

 

Zayn raises an eyebrow, trying to act cool. “And this couldn’t wait until Monday?” He pauses. “Also how’d you find out where I live?”

 

He blushes. “I um, I asked at the office.”

 

“Don’t they have like a, rule against that?” Zayn asks.

 

Liam scratches at the back of his head awkwardly. “Well by asked I mean I got Louis to distract the sectary well I looked up your form on their data base.”

 

Zayn’s jaw actually drops. “Holy shit.”

 

His face goes bright red. “This is just really important and it couldn’t wait till Monday and I’m sorry if you think it’s an invasion of privacy but-”

 

“Mate, I’m kind of impressed.” He admits, face going a shade pinker than usual. “I mean, you’re a golden boy.”

 

Liam laughs nervously. “It comes in handy.” Zayn gives him a small, shy smile before Liam continues on. “Anyways I just. Word on the street is that you’re really good with computers.”

 

Zayn shakes his head. “I know a guy.” Is all he says.

 

Liam bites his lip before digging out a peice of paper out of his back pocket and handing it to Zayn. “Can you give this to him than and ask him to run the names through the police data base?”

 

Zayn raises an eyebrow. “That’s illegal.”

 

“It’s important.” He says urgently. “Look I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t. And I would do it myself but I can’t get through the firewalls.”

 

Zayn sighs because fuck, he doesn’t have the will to go against Liam. Not like this. “It’ll cost you.” He says honestly because Niall doesn’t do favours unless Zayn asks.

 

“I can pay.” Liam replies.

 

Zayn bites his lip before nodding. “I’ll talk to him but it doesn’t grantee anything. And since this is illegal, he’s gonna want more than a couple hundred.”

 

“I can pay.” He repeats.

 

________________________________________________

 

“Ya wan’ me ta do what?” Niall asks Zayn later that night when Zayn shows up to his house. They’re in the basement, Niall’s domain, eating take-out while Zayn works on homework and Niall does whatever he does on those computers.

 

“The list I gave you, look up the police information stuff.” He says, waving his hand. “Do whatever it is you do.”

 

“Ok yeah but dis isn’t just regular breakin’ inta da police records ta find out what’s goin’ down. Dis is illegal dirt diggin’ mate.” Niall says, looking over the list and making a face. “Who is this for?” Zayn looks down at his homework, pretending to be into it. “Dis is fa Liam ain’t it?”

 

“So what if it is.” Zayn mumbles, doodling on side of his math book.

 

Niall laughs. “Ya so gone Zaynie.” He pauses, looking over the list of names again. “Do ya know who’s on dis list?”

 

Zayn shakes his head. “Figured it isn’t any of my business.”

 

He snorts. “Do ya wan’ me to tell ya?”

 

Zayn gives him a sharp look. “I just told you it wasn’t any of my business. Just… Look up the stuff, print it off and give it to me in a folder alright?”

 

“Jeez ya can say please ya little fucker.” Niall mumbles, spinning around on his chair and beginning to type away on his computer.

 

They’re silent save for Niall’s typing for a few moments before;

 

“Does it seem like I hate people Niall?” Zayn can’t help but ask. It’s been bugging him since Liam told him.

 

Niall shrugs. “I mean, ya seem sorta cold Z but I know ya care. Why ya askin’?”

 

Zayn sighs. “Liam thinks I hate him.”

 

“Doin’ dis ta get in his good books?” Niall enquires.

 

Zayn shrugs, dropping his pencil because fuck if he can focus on math now. “I don’t know.” He says honestly as he lays back, looking up at Niall’s ceiling. “I mean… Sorta? He keeps helping me even if he doesn’t know it’s me and he’s just so nice y’know? And I just wanna do something for him.”

 

Niall laughs. “Send ‘im some flowers mate.”

 

“Hilarious, really.” Zayn says in a dry voice and a sudden thought hits him. “Where’s Harry?”

 

“Said he had a date.” Niall says and what.

 

“He didn’t tell me.” He frowns, feeling hurt. He’d been so busy with all these robberies and Liam he completely forgot about his best mate.

 

Niall shrugs, sliding around on his chair to a different keyboard. “Said he didn’t want to boder ya wit it, especially wit all dese mass robberies.”

 

“I’m still his best mate, even if I’m being a shit one right now.” Zayn says, looking over at the monitors. “What’re you doing?”

 

“Trying ta find him. Little bastard wouldn’t tell me who it was wit, I’m dyin’ to know.” Niall says, fiddling around on his keyboard. “I’ve been scanning all da resturants for face recgistion and-” there’s a ding somewhere and Niall lets out a gleeful laugh. “Found ‘im!”

 

Zayn scrambles off the ground because, fuck, he’s curious now and he’s hovering over Niall as he types faster than light on the keyboards, rolling all over the place before finally one of the monitors lights up with a rather fancy looking restaurant. Zayn knows Harry’s rich, but he prefers not to flaunt it. “Where is he?” Zayn asks.

 

Niall starts typing away again before the view shits and Zayn scans the screen quickly before finds him. “There.” He says, pointing to it. They can see Harry’s face (he looks happier than Zayn’s seem him in awhile) but they can’t see his date.

 

“Lemme jus’…” Niall mutters and the screen shifts again and they’re looking at the table from the opposite side and-

 

“Louis?” They both say at the same time, completely surprised.

 

“Oh my god.” Zayn laughs. “That’s.”

 

“Now dat is golden.” Niall says with a laugh. “Mate I am never lettin’ dis one go.”

 

Zayn claps him on the back. “Mate, we will never run out of material with this.”

 

Niall grins up with him as another ding goes off. “Ah, hit da first firewall ma automatic system can’t break through.” He has a glint that Zayn doesn’t want to try and place in his eyes. “Ma time ta shine.”

 

Zayn backs up, hands up as he lets Niall roll around on his chair, pressing keys faster than Zayn’s ever seen him work, teeth gnaing on his lower lip as he works, head banging slightly to nonexistent music.

 

They work like this, Niall on breaking through the police’s firewalls and Zayn on his math homework for a couple hours before a thought crosses Zayn’s brain. “How the hell do you pay for all this stuff?”

 

Niall shrugs, taking a gulp of his red bull. “Award money, ma mam, customers.” He says vaguely, shrugging.

 

“Jesus.” Zayn mutters, looking around at everything. He never noticed how high tech some of this stuff was.

 

“I make a lot too.” Niall admits. “From scrap, I built up a good 80% of da lab.”

 

“Holy shit Niall.” Zayn says, eyes budging. “How fucking smart are you.”

 

Niall pauses his typing. “Dunno, actually.” He shrugs. “Never did want ta sit through on of dose borin’ ol’ IQ tests.”

 

“Jesus.” Zayn says in an awed voice. “Remind me to never piss you off, yeah?”

 

Niall laughs. “Never Zaynie, love ya too much.”

 

Zayn gets up and ruffles Niall’s hair, grabbing his bag. “I should go, text me if anything comes up. And get some sleep too.”

 

“Aye aye captain.” Niall says, putting up a hand as a good bye. “Try da spidey door, wanna know if I fixed dat properly or nat.”

 

Zayn rolls his eyes. “It’s a window that motion opens with a spider on it Niall, please don’t call it the spidey door.”

 

“Never!” He laughs and if Niall had an evil bone in his body, that would’ve been his diabolical laugh.

 

________________________________________________

 

A week later, Niall drops off the folder with all of the information that he could gather on the people on Liam’s list and Zayn grabs it on his way out the door for school.

 

He doesn’t manage to catch Liam before classes or during lunch, so he heads to their usual table, surprised to see Liam already waiting for him.

 

“Hey.” Liam greets him with a smile. Zayn sends his own shy one back before sliding into his usual seat across from him.

 

“Here.” He says, giving him the file across the table and Liam’s eyes light up.

 

“Shit, Zayn, thank you so much you have no idea what you’ve just done.” Liam says, grabbing the folder and shoving it into his bag, still grinning at him with a smile so wide it almost split his face apart. It was nice to see him that happy and Zayn felt a small fluttering in his stomach because he did that.

 

“I really hope I didn’t abide anything that can land me in jail for too long.” He says dryly and Liam laughs.

 

“Nah, the opposite.” He pauses. “Did you… look at it?”

 

Zayn shakes his head. “None of my business. I don’t need to know anything so…”

 

Liam just smiles at him. “You’re amazing.”

 

Zayn ducks his head, blushing. “Yeah well…” He shrugs, grabbing his notebook from his bag. “Hey did you do the math from last night?”

 

The two boys dive into the school work and before Zayn knows it, they’re sitting right beside one another (like they always do), thighs pressed together and their arms and hands brushing ever so often, causing both boys to blush, even if the other never saw it. About 40 minutes later, Liam leans back, yawning slightly as he puts an arm around the back of Zayn’s chair.

 

“Ok, please, no more work.” He begs with a laugh.

 

Zayn bites his lip, trying (and failing) to conceal a grin before he nods. “Yeah, I’m done.” He laughs, turning slightly to Liam. “Your turn or my turn to pick a topic?” He asks.

 

They’ve been doing that for a couple weeks now, going back and forth each day, the opposite person picking a topic and them trying to stay on that one topic. They usually stayed on it for a couple minutes before continuing on somewhere else. “Uh, yours I do believe.” Liam grins.

 

Zayn nods, trying to think of one. “Family?”

 

“Easy.” Liam says. “I was born in a small town in England, believe it or not, before we moved out here. I was about, 3 or so when we moved because of my dad’s job. So in the house it’s just me, my mum and my dad but I have two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola. Ruth goes to school in Canada and Nicola goes just outside of DC. What about you?”

 

“I’m from England as well.” Zayn laughs softly. “Never did lose the accent, even after living here for 5 years. But um, it’s just me and my mum. There was a rough divorce about 6 years ago, got pretty nasty honestly but uh, I have three sisters. One older, two younger who decided they wanted to stay with my dad and both me and my mum never blamed them for it. Dad always had the better paying job, it’s probably better for them over in England. But yeah, after a year of trying to live in the same town as them, my mum just couldn’t handle it and she packed us up and here we are.”

 

“That’s shit.” Liam says sympathetically. “What does your mum do?”

 

“She’s a nurse.” Zayn says. “Your parents?”

 

“Mum’s a librarian, dad’s a journalist.” He shrugs. “Pretty boring life. They were both a little sad when I decided not to go into English, honestly.” He laughs.

 

“What’d you plan on doing?” Zayn asks curiously.

 

“Engineering, maybe.” Liam shrugs again. “Dunno, really, just see where life takes me.”

 

Zayn laughs. “I’m surprised.”

 

“About what?”

 

“That you’re one of the go with the flow type of people.” Zayn grins at him, feeling so happy and open. He hasn’t felt like this in ages. “Figured you were structured and everything has to be done at a certain time, on a certain day.”

 

Liam laughs as well, loud enough that they get a few glares from other people in the library. “Sorry.” He says automatically, before looking back over at Zayn with a grin. “And I don’t know why anyone ever thinks that, my best mate Louis does too.” He shrugs. “M’not uptight like, at all.” He pauses. “Ok maybe I’m a little up tight but I prefer to call myself a hard worker.”

 

“A hard worker who goes with the flow?” Zayn laughs.

 

“Only way to stay sane in this world.” Liam says. “I mean, there’s a guy running around somewhere that can shoot webs out of his hands-” wists Zayn mentally corrects. “-and climb walls.”

 

“Point taken.” Zayn says. “So what’d you think of him? The Spider-Man.”

 

Liam shrugs. “Dunno, really. I mean.” He pauses, blushing slightly. “He’s saved me a couple different times, seems like a swell guy to me.”

 

“Oh my god, who the hell says ‘swell’” Zayn can’t help but ask, laughing. “You’re so uptight and posh Liam, you don’t even realise it.”

 

Liam pouts at him and it’s one of the cutest things Zayn has ever seen. “You’re being so mean to me.” He laughs though.

 

“Nah, mate, s’called honesty. Figured someone around here had to knock some sense into your thick skull.” He jokes, a grin splitting across his face.

 

“You’re something evil Z.” Liam shakes his head, grinning at him as he does so.

 

“Z?” Zayn asks. “I thought only friends made up nicknames.”

 

Liam’s face goes pale. “I mean- I thought- oh.” He finishes in a small voice, making Zayn’s stomach drop because, shit, he always fucks shit up.

 

“Shit, I didn’t-” Zayn says, putting his hand on top of Liam’s. “I was joking Li.”

 

“Oh.” Liam says again, a bright blush covering his cheeks. “Sorry.”

 

Zayn blushes as well, looking down at their hands and before he really knows what he’s doing, he’s moving his hand so it can slip under Liam’s bigger one, callused from playing football, and intertwining their fingers together. He bites his lip glancing up at Liam and catches his eye. Liam brings his other hand up to Zayn’s face, gently brushing on his cheek. “You have an eye lash.” He says in a very soft voice, their eyes still locked.

 

Zayn can see now that his eyes are actually a few shades lighter than he thought. Instead of just being a dark chocolaty brown like he always guessed, they’re more dark hazel, he decides. Liam leans his forehead against Zayn’s softly, their lips just centimetres away and, jesus, Zayn can barely breath, let alone think when Liam leans in just a little bit closer and-

 

A shrill ring tone goes off, pulling them both out of their trance and a bright red blush going onto their cheeks as Zayn ducks his head, rummaging through his bag to try and find his cell. He finally does find it in the bottom and picks it up.

 

“Niall this better be fucking important.” He hisses, kinda pissed off that someone took away his kiss.

 

“A 411 Zaynie, or else I wouldn’t be callin’ ya on ya date.” He says in a cheerful voice and Zayn glances over at Liam who’s got his nose in one of their textbooks.

 

“I hate you so much right now Niall.” Zayn says without heat. “You and this entire bloody city.” He mumbles, rubbing a hand over his face. “What the fuck is it then?”

 

“Sale on 7th.” Niall quips.

 

Another fucking robbery.

 

“God I’m gonna kill someone.” He mutters, grabbing his bag and stuff his stuff in it before hanging up his phone and giving Liam an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” He says, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot before darting forward and quickly kissing Liam on the cheek and then high tailing it out of there. “Fuck I can’t believe I just did that.” He says in a giddy voice as he ducks into the same washroom as always, ready to slip into his second self.

 

________________________________________________

 

It’s a long night, another mass robbery thing and Zayn’s starting to suspect that maybe it’s not just a chain of robberies going on. The city did get their fair share of robberies, yeah, but nothing like they’ve been getting in the past month and a half.

 

“We’re all clear?” Zayn asks as he swings through the shadows, taking the now familiar route to Liam’s apartment. He liked to sit on the one across from it, ok? He 100% wasn’t creeping on Liam or anything along those lines.

 

“Tink so.” Niall says taking a sip from something. Zayn bets that it’s red bull. “I’ll let ya know if anyting comes up in da system Zaynie.”

 

Zayn finds himself in the same spot as the nights before, relaxing as he watches Liam from the windows. He seems to be hard at work, going between papers and his laptop before finally getting up and heading over to the balcony. Zayn knows that Liam can’t see him, not with the way he’s learnt to conceal himself in the shadows, but he still feels unnerved when Liam looks exactly at him.

 

“God I must be insane.” He mutters before saying louder in a very fake voice. “Help! Someone help!” He cringes, his cheeks turning pink. “This- this is stupid.” He says to himself.

 

Zayn can’t help but laugh softly, swinging out of the shadows and landing on his railing perfectly. “I told you the first time I did this I was better.” He says as a greeting.

 

Liam grins at him. “You’re very cocky you know that?”

 

Zayn shrugs, jumping off of the ledge and in front of Liam. “I have a reason to be.” He pauses. “Now was there anything exactly you needed help with?”

 

“I uh, I actually wanted to show you something.” Liam says, going into his room. Zayn stops at the door, looking around. Everything is neat and tidy, bookshelf covered in books and pictures, most of him and his family or him and Louis, the bed made and looking incredibly soft (Zayn would love to go and have a lie down, if he’s being honest) but the desk on one wall is covered in papers and Liam’s sitting on the chair. “Coming in?” He asks. 

“Right, sorry.” Zayn mutters, stepping over the threshold and onto the dark hardwood and moving towards Liam. “So you’ve got a superhero in your bedroom-” He starts to say with a smirk evident in his voice.

 

“Again, with the cocky.” Liam says with a grin. “Anyways, I talked to my sorta-friend who’s still my sorta friend for a whole different reason but, hey, this time it’s good.” He laughs. “Sorry, off topic, but anyways, he dug up these police records for me on the robbers because these robberies, none of them made sense to me. The one that I was at, the guys were way out of practice like aren’t you supposed to be really good if you’re robbing a downtown high end store? So I did some digging around, turns out yeah they are robbers, but they’re things like B&E at poor houses. But I thought, ok, maybe they were trying to move up in the world. But then it happened again. And again.” Liam says, showing him all the folders and pointing out everything, Zayn’s mind starts wheeling. “Look, once is a incidence, two is a coincidence but three times? Four times? That’s a pattern. Someone is hiring these guys to rob places.”

 

Zayn nods, agreeing with him. “Ok but, who’s going to hire B&E people to rob a high end store? They’re got to know it won’t work.” Zayn points out and Liam nods.

 

“I know that’s what didn’t make sense to me but then I started looking at connections. What the hell did all these people have in common besides shitty robberies?” Liam grins “Turns out, they were all in a hate group. For you.”

 

Everything clicks into place for Zayn. “They weren’t trying to rob a store… They were trying to catch me. Liam… Who’s in charge of that group.”

 

Liam shakes his head. “I’ve tried everything I know, there’s nothing on the leader. All I got was a screen name. SpideyNotSoMighty.”

 

“Seriously?” Zayn can’t help but say. “You’re going to try and take me down and that’s your big bad name. Jesus.” He mutters before pressing his ear peice. “You still awake?”

 

“Ya mate.” Niall says. “What’d ya need?”

 

“Our… Friend found something.” Zayn says vaguely, knowing that Liam can hear what he’s saying. “A screen name. SpideyNotSoMighty.”

 

Niall snorts at the name. “Do we have a web address?”

 

“Liam, an address would be lovely.” Zayn says and Liam’s searching through his computer.

 

“Http://w3h8spiders.chat.com” Liam says after a moment.

 

“You catch that?” Zayn asks and he hears Niall typing away already.

 

“Got it.” He says. “Fuck, dey’ve got firewalls almost as good as mine. How da fuck did your boy crack through these and not da police ones?” Niall pauses before muttering to himself; “I supp’se someone could’a gotten on easier if dey had the same computer or maybe if dey were connected somehow to the guy’s wifi…”

 

“Can you get through?” Zayn asks, ignoring the comment about Liam being ‘his boy’ and how it makes his stomach flutter.

 

Niall snorts. “I’m extremely offended ya had to ask. I’m just tellin’ ya it’s gonna take awhile. 2 nights, probably.”

 

Zayn grins. “You’ve got this.” He looks back over at Liam. “I could kiss you right now, just so you know.”

 

Liam laughs. “Just trying to help.” He blushes. “I was, uh, I was wondering if you could do me a favour, actually.”

 

“Anything.” Zayn laughs. “You literally just helped us crack one of the biggest crimes.”

 

Liam blushes, going to his closet and puling out a small brown box. “There’s a house on Marry Crescent on the other side of town, number 7.” He says with a pink blush. “It’s my sorta-friend’s house. I was wondering if you could drop this off for me.”

 

“What is it?” Zayn asks, curious even if he’ll be able to open it soon enough when he gets home.

 

“Nothing.” He blushes. “Just a bit of a thank you gift. He wouldn’t let me pay him for getting the information. Said he’d taken care of it.” He pauses for a second, biting his lip. “God, I nearly kissed him today. After basically a year of crushing on him, I almost kissed him and then his friend rang. But he kissed me on the cheek… That’s good right?” Liam says, looking at Zayn for confirmation.

 

“Uh, yeah.” He says, mind still locked on the fact that Liam has had a crush on him for a year.

 

Liam laughs. “Sorry, you probably have more to worry about than teenage drama.” He scratches the back of his neck. “It’s fine if you can’t get this to him-”

 

“No, no.” Zayn says. “It’s fine.” He puts his hand out and Liam hands him the package.

 

“Thanks, again.” He smiles at him and both boys freeze as they hear someone else calling Liam’s name. “Shit, that’s my dad. You need to leave like, now.” He starts pushing Zayn towards the balcony. When Zayn gets outside, he turns around to thank Liam for his help but Liam’s already shutting the door and pulling his curtain over it with an apologetic smile. Zayn jumps off of his balcony after that and into the night, holding the package close to him as he swings home.

 

Zayn ends up not being able to open the package until the next morning, his mother demanding him to get to sleep (it was roughly 3am when he stumbled through his window). He wakes up late the next morning, too, so he runs around like a chicken with his head cut off to try and get ready before Harry arrives. He manages, thankfully enough, so he sits down at his breakfast table with a peice of toast in one hand and the box in the other. Zayn bites into the toast, holding it into his mouth as he breaks into the packaging (that has ‘from Liam’ scribbled on top of), looking at the gift inside the box.

 

Sitting inside the box is a long chain with a silver dog tag attached to it. He picks it up with his non butter and toast covered hand, looking at the engraving. It was simple, just his name in a typewriting font but the fact that Liam had cared enough to actually do that was enough of a thought to make his stomach flutter. He hears Harry’s familiar engine coming down the road so he quickly tugs it on over his head and tucks it under his shirt, finishing up the last couple of bites of toast before going outside to meet Harry and maybe tease him about his date, too, since Harry hadn’t brought it up yet.

 

________________________________________________

 

Zayn plops down next to Liam after school with a grin, knowing that he’ll end up next to him anyways so why bother starting so far away? “Hey.” He greets him, pulling out some of his books.

 

“Uh, hey.” Liam says, smiling back at him shyly and with a small blush. “Did you uh, get anything new?” He asks vaguely.

 

Zayn’s grin grows and he tugs the chain out. “Yeah, I wanted to thank you actually.”

 

Liam shrugs, ducking his head trying to be modest. “I owed you.”

 

“You still didn’t have to.” He laughs. “Just take the thank you Liam.”

 

“Alright, alright.” Liam says with his own laugh. “Uh… Do you maybe want to…” Zayn holds his breath, his heart thumping in his chest. “Go on a date with me?” He mumbles with a bright pink tint to his cheeks.

 

A grin breaks over his lips as the same colour of Liam’s cheeks spreads over Zayn’s. “Yeah, definitely.” He says, ducking his head and biting his lip to try and contain his grin even if Liam’s already seen it.

 

“Really?” Liam says, sounding surprised. “I- really?”

 

Zayn can’t help but laugh, looking up to grin at Liam. “Yeah, really really.”

 

Liam giggles (and fuck if that doesn’t make Zayn’s stomach do flips), “I should give you my number.”

 

“Yeah, you should.” Zayn agrees, but neither of them go to grab their phones, still just completely and utterly grinning at each other before a thought occurs to him. “Did you by any chance know that Louis and Harry went on a date?”

 

“Louis and-” Liam’s eyes widen. “You’re shitting me.”

 

Zayn laughs. “Nah, my friend and I saw them.”

 

Liam laughs as well, throwing an arm around Zayn’s chair. “I’m gonna have to talk to Louis about it-” His face pales. “Shit, never mind that. He’ll want us to go on double dates.” He shudders at the thought as Zayn laughs, but can’t help agree.

 

“Yeah, maybe don’t confront him on it. As much as I love Harry…” Zayn lets his sentence trail off with a grin, knowing that Liam knows exactly what he means.

 

Liam nods, laughing. “It’s the same with Lou.”

 

Both boys laugh again, catching the other’s eye before blushing and ducking their heads. “So, uh, homework?” Zayn says with a small smile. He really can’t stop it, smiling at Liam. He has an actual date and not just with anyone, Liam.

 

“Yeah, um, do you mind helping me with the English stuff?” Liam asks shyly, like he didn’t have to ask every time he had English homework.

 

“Always.” Zayn grins, moving his chair closer just because he can.

 

________________________________________________

 

About a week later, Zayn’s waiting anxiously Friday night for Liam to arrive to pick him up for their date. He still can’t believe that he has a date, jesus.

 

“Waiting for Liam?” His mother asks as she comes into the kitchen where Zayn was waiting.

 

He had told her about his date over dinner the day Liam asked him and she had been cheeky about it ever since. “No, the pizza guy actually.” Zayn says in a dry voice. “Yes, Liam.”

 

“No need to get snarky with me young man.” She laughs, doting around the kitchen for food for dinner. “When’s he coming?”

 

Zayn checks over at the clock hanging on the wall across from him. “5 minutes.”

 

“You know the rules?” She asks with a raised eyebrow. “Back before 11-”

 

“Unless it’s a thing,” He says, repeating everything she’s told him multiple times in the past week. “If he’s making me uncomfortable, I have the right to say no or leave, I know mum.”

 

She gives him a small frown. “I know you do sweetheart, I just want to make sure that you have fun tonight.” She comes over to where he’s waiting and wraps him up in a tight hug. “You barely get to be a teenager with everything you do.” She whispers.

 

Zayn feels some tears stinging at the back of his eyes and, yeah, he knows what she’s saying. He doesn’t get to go on dates or go to parties because of his job, but he wouldn’t trade up what he does or his powers for anything. “I know mum.” He whispers back, hugging her just as tightly as the doorbell rings and Zayn jumps back. “Shit, that’s him. Do I look ok-?” He asks worriedly.

 

His mother laughs again. “You look lovely darling. Do I get to meet him or-”

 

“We agreed not.” Zayn says, kissing her cheek before grabbing his jacket and running towards the door as she calls out her goodbyes. “Hey.” He says slightly breathless as he shuts the door behind him.

 

“You look great.” Liam says with an honest smile as they head to his car and he opens the door for Zayn.

 

“Like a proper gentleman.” Zayn says with a laugh as Liam jogs over to his side.

 

“Only the best.” He grins over at Zayn, eyes twinkling as he pulls out of the driveway and starts heading towards wherever they’re eating tonight.

 

Zayn blushes, his hand reaching forward automatically to fiddle with the radio but he pauses at the last moment, not knowing if that’s okay or not. “Can I-”

 

Liam glances over at him and grins. “Go ahead, I’m usually stuck listening to top 40 with Lou.” He laughs as Zayn makes a face.

 

“I hope you have a better taste in music than he does or this date might not last too long.” He jokes. “I take my music very seriously Liam.”

 

Liam glances over at him again, laughing. “I have to say I’m the same way so I’ll be judging you.”

 

Zayn laughs as well, grin tugging on his face as he fiddles with the radio dials before he finds a station playing a song he likes. “Well, do you approve?” He jokes.

 

Liam pretends to be thinking. “I suppose this date can continue.”

 

Zayn bites his lip, a grin spreading over his face as the drive continues. They pull into a neither fancy or not fancy (Zayn muses momentarily if there’s a word for un-fancy), and Liam’s jogging over to his side to open the door again. “You don’t have to do that all night.” Zayn points out with a blush as he climbs out of the car.

 

“My mum raised me to be a proper gentlemen.” Liam says and he goes to open the door for him, but Zayn beats him to it with a grin and wink.

 

“After you.” He says cheekily as Liam goes in, laughing as he does so.

 

“How very kind of you sir.” He replies in a fake posh voice.

 

“Only the best.” Zayn jokingly mocks Liam from earlier, slipping his hand into Liam’s, intertwining their fingers as Liam blushes and pulls them up to the hostess.

 

“Reservations for Payne.” He says, only slightly awkwardly as Zayn stands there silently and biting on his lip slightly. He wasn’t that bad in public normally but the whole date thing was throwing him off.

 

“Right this way.” The girl says with a tight, fake smile as she leads them to a booth in one of the back corners. Liam slips into one of the seats and Zayn sits across from him, turning to the girl with the most serious look on his face that he can muster.

 

“We’re gonna need the crayons and colour pages.” He says, winking over at Liam who has to muffle a laugh.

 

“Riight.” The girl says, snapping her gum. “I’ll be right back with those.”

 

As soon as she’s gone, Liam starts laughing, causing a few people to look over at their table. “I thought she was gonna kill you or something.” He laughs.

 

“Just annoyed I was makin’ her work more.” Zayn laughs, still grinning when the same waitress comes back with 2 crayon packages and 2 colouring pages. She drops them off in front of both boys before taking out her notebook and pen.

 

“What can I get you to drink?” She asks in a bored tone.

 

“I’ll have a coke, thanks.” Liam says with a quick smile and then she turns to Zayn.

 

“Lemonade.” Zayn grins. He can’t help it if he likes his sugar. She writes it down, going to get their drinks. Zayn looks down at the colour page and notices there’s a spot to draw. “Don’t move, I’m gonna draw you.” He says, grabbing one of the packages and looking over at Liam who’s now pulling a ridiculous pose that he can’t help but laugh at. “Yeah, definitely don’t move from that pose babe.”

 

Liam’s cheeks tint pink at the nickname but Zayn forces down his own blush as he grabs the brown, starting to draw Liam. He glances up a couple times, biting his lip in concentration as he draws before he’s finally done and slides it over to Liam. “Zayn this is actually really good.” Liam says in an honest voice.

 

Zayn blushes with a small shrug, taking a sip out of his drink that he hadn’t even realised arrived. “I don’t get to do it that often, honestly.” Not when every spare second is spent swinging around the city on a web.

 

“Why not?” He asks curiously.

 

Zayn’s saved from having to reply because his beings to ring loudly. “Shit, lemme just-” He says, grabbing his phone and rejecting the call (not even looking at the caller ID) before turning it off and giving Liam an apologetic look. “It’s off, I swear. M’all yours.”

 

Liam laughs. “Sure it wasn’t important?”

 

Zayn shrugs. “It can wait. I’ve got very important in front of me right now.”

 

“That was cheesy.” Liam points out with a blush, grabbing his menu to look at it.

 

He shrugs again, grabbing his own to look at the food. “Pizza.” He says without much thought, mouth watering at the thought of it.

 

“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you like pizza.” Liam laughs.

 

Zayn laughs. “I’m in a very complicated marriage with it.”

 

“Didn’t tell me you were a taken man.” He winks.

 

“Pizza will always hold my heart.” Zayn says, pretending to be 100% serious, but it all goes to shit when he smiles halfway through his sentence.

 

They settle into idle chitchat as they wait for the waitress to come back and ask for their order. They talk non stop until the food gets there, too, only stopping the conversation momentarily as they eat. About halfway through their date, everything falls to shit.

 

“I’ve gotta go to the washroom, I’ll be right back.” Liam says, sliding out of the booth and Zayn’s given the chance to look around and his eyes fall onto a TV in the back corner that he hadn’t noticed before. He frowns slightly, noticing the news is on and he focuses his attention onto it.

 

“…I’m here at the scene on 3rd street as another robbery takes place. This is the third one that has happened in the past 40 minutes and everyone here is asking the same question; where is Spider-Man?” The news anchor reports and Zayn swears under his breath, grabbing his phone and turning it on.

 

86 messages and 43 missed calls.

 

“Shit.” Zayn mutters under his breath, looking around. God, he all he wanted was one night, just one night to be fucking normal for once and then this fucking shit happens. He lets out an annoyed noise, tugging his hand through his hair before grabbing a crayon and one of the sheets of paper and scribbling on it ‘ _I’m so so sorry_’ on it before ducking out of there before Liam can get back.

 

He hates this stupid job sometimes.

 

He sneaks back to his house in record time, grabbing his suit from his closet as his mum comes in.

 

“You’re home early.” She notes but then notices the suit in his hand and frowns. “Sweetheart…”

 

“I had to leave him there in the middle of the restaurant.” He growls out, tugging on his clothes violently and pulling on his suit. “All I wanted was one night to be fucking normal. To go on a date for once!”

 

“Oh, sweetie.” She says in a soft voice, going to sit next to him on the bed where he collapsed. “You knew getting into this it wasn’t going to be easy on you.”

 

Zayn nods, wiping violently at the couple of tears that fell. “I know, I know I’m just.” He sighed, grabbing his mask. “I have to go- I.”

 

She nods. “I know sweetheart. You go beat those assholes up.”

 

Zayn can’t help but choke out a laugh, tugging his mask on. “Love you mum.” He presses his ear peice as he swings out of the window and is immediately greeted with Niall’s voice.

 

“Where da fuck you been mate?!” He yells. “There’s-”

 

“A robbery on 3rd, I saw.” He growls out, not even trying to go discreetly when he gets to a busy part of town. He’s pissed and the robbers are going to get it. “Give me the details, quickly please.”

 

“Two places a’ready hit, dey’re quick, smarter than the others.” Niall says quickly, typing as he goes. “Ya-”

 

“I’m going in there and beating the fucking crap out of them Niall.” Zayn says in a tough voice as he swings onto the street. He can hear the crowds of people cheering but he tunes them out. “How am I getting in?”

 

“Door ‘round back.” Niall says in a tentative voice. “What were ya doin’ before Zaynie?”

 

“I was on a fucking date.” He growls as he flips over the building and lands at the back of it kicking the door in.

 

“Shite, mate-” Niall says sympathetically.

 

“Can’t talk, I just walked into a party I obviously wasn’t invited to.” Zayn says, eyeing the two girls stuffing cash into duffel bags. “Which is plain rude, just by the way.”

 

They’re wearing masks (just little things over their eyes, really), but the blond one stops what she’s doing, throwing out a taser stick with a wicked grin over her face. “Look, love, a bug has dropped in on us.” She says in an English accent.

 

“I do hate bugs, would you mind squishing him while I finish up hear dear?” The brunette asks, not even looking over at Zayn. Fucking cocky pricks.

 

“Actually,” He says with a small shrug. “People think spiders are bugs or insects, but we’re really arachnids.”

 

The brunette rolls her eyes, standing up as well and throwing out the same weapon. “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t like those either.”

 

________________________________________________

 

Later that night, when Zayn’s beat the two girls and handed them over to the police, he’s hanging around Liam’s again, still in his ripped up suit. The two of them had been a harder fight than he’d encountered before with the others, seeing as they knew how to work well together but Zayn still managed to defeat them.

 

He stumbles onto Liam’s balcony like the first night, but luckily he doesn’t hurt himself again. Well, a few new bruises aren’t exactly worrisome nowadays.

 

Zayn groans softly, rolling over onto his back as someone opens the balcony door. “Shit, you’re here again.” Liam says, grabbing Zayn from under his arms and carrying him into the room and onto his bed before he can even protest.

 

“Fucking robbers and tasers.” Zayn mumbles, letting out a wince as he tries to get comfortable. “Shit am I bleeding on your bed?”

 

Liam laughs softly and it warms Zayn from the inside out. “You’re fine. Your cuts seemed mostly healed.”

 

“Fast healer.” He says with a small laugh, looking over at Liam who’s now looking at him weirdly. “What?”

 

Liam shakes his head. “Nothing you just… You sounded like someone just then.” He lets out a bitter laugh. “Someone who’s obviously not worth it.”

 

Zayn frowns because he knows that Liam’s talking about him and it just honestly. He was such a shit head to Liam. “What happened?” He asks because he’s not supposed to know.

 

“Nothing it’s-” Liam sighs. “It’s stupid.”

 

“Obviously it’s not if I asked about it.” Zayn says, moving slightly before groaning loudly in pain. “Fuck, shouldn’t’ve done that.”

 

Liam sends him a sharp look. “Just because you can heal quickly doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, stop moving idiot.”

 

Zayn blinks a couple times because, ok, that was sorta surprising. “Alright then, no more moving for me.”

 

“Sorry.” He blushes. “I just. I was on this date, right, and this guy.” He lets out an awed laugh. “He’s amazing. And funny. And just, he’s basically perfect and I thought we were having a great time but then I go to the washroom and I come back to find he’s just up and left.”

 

“Did he leave a note?” Zayn asks because he needs to know if Liam saw it.

 

“‘I’m so so sorry.’” Liam repeats with a defeated breath. “If he didn’t want to go out with me, he could’ve just said so.” He collapse onto the bed next to Zayn, who frowns.

 

“Hey, you don’t know that.” Zayn says, wanting nothing more to move and comfort Liam but he kind of can’t because then he might, like, puke from the pain or something. He wonders vaguely if the puke would go through the mask or not. “Maybe something really important came up.”

 

“Like what?”

 

 _Like a robbery and he’s secretly a superhero but can’t find the balls to tell you._ “Like maybe his mother got into a car accident or something like that.” He supplies.

 

“He couldn’t have waited till I got back?” Liam asks in a small voice. “I wouldn’t have been mad.”

 

See, that would’ve been the smart thing to do but Zayn’s not smart. “She could’ve been critical or maybe he just wasn’t thinking.” He says in a soft voice. “See if he talks to you tomorrow about it.”

 

Liam nods. “Alright.” He lets out a small laugh.

 

“What’s so funny?” He asks.

 

“It’s just I’m getting romance advice from a superhero.” Liam says and well, when you put it like that, it’s kinda funny.

 

Especially since it’s about him too.

 

 _Fuck_ his life is messed up.

 

________________________________________________

 

Zayn doesn’t see Liam the next day at school until afterwards when he basically runs to the library, hoping to any god that might exists that Liam’s there waiting for him and-

 

He lets out a breath of relief because there Liam is, sitting all by himself with his notebook already out and working on it. Zayn goes up to the table, words falling out of his mouth before he can even fully think them through.

 

“I’m so so so so sorry.” He rushes out, causing Liam to look up at him with just a single raised eyebrow, like he’s waiting for Zayn to explain but all of a sudden, he really doesn’t want to lie but he can’t tell him the truth, not here.

 

“Are you going to explain?” He finally asks after a couple moments.

 

Zayn makes a face. “I… Can’t.” He lets out. “But, shit, I wish I could but fuck, Liam, please trust me it’s a really good excuse and I swear I’ll explain it to you, eventually, but I’m so fucking sorry.”

 

Liam takes a breath. “You’re an asshole, first.”

 

Zayn nods. “I know and you have every right to hate me and never want to go on a date with me again.”

 

“I should hate you.” Liam says, biting his lip. “But I don’t.”

 

Zayn can’t help the grin that spreads over his face. “You don’t?”

 

“I don’t know why,” He says. “But, yeah, I don’t.”

 

“Give me a chance to make it up to you.” Zayn says, without thinking it all through. “I’ll explain afterwards, I promise.”

 

Liam bites his lip again, thinking it over as Zayn’s heart hammers so loud in his chest he’s sure Liam can hear it. “One chance.” He finally says as Zayn lets out a breath of relief. “You have one chance, Zayn, m’serious.”

 

Zayn nods, a grin spreading over his cheeks and he leans over the table, pecking Liam on the cheek. “Won’t regret it, I swear.”

 

“Holding you to that.” Liam replies, the first hint of a smile crossing his face for the first time since the beginning of the conversation.

 

________________________________________________

 

Their date is set up for the next Friday so of course, karma loves fucking around with Zayn and literally if he thought everything went to shit last time, it goes even worse the day before their date.

 

He’s laying in bed reading something for his English class that he really should’ve finished earlier when he was in the library with Liam but he couldn’t focus, not when Liam was doing his cute little concentration face and-

 

Zayn stops those thoughts right there since he knows that if he starts thinking of Liam he won’t stop and then he’ll have to explain to his English teacher why he didn’t do the reading.

 

Again.

 

He’s forcing himself back into the book’s world, ready to loose himself in it when his cell rings loudly and he groans, knowing what this means.

 

“What’s it this time Niall?” Zayn answers the phone after checking the ID (there was a slime chance it could’ve been Liam, which he’d much rather).

 

“Mate, turn on da TV right now.” Niall says in an oddly serious voice.

 

Zayn’s confused but he trudges downstairs to the TV, turning it on and to the news station.

 

“Stacy, can you please explain to us what is going on right now?” Someone is saying before it cuts to a young looking woman who’s standing outside an abandoned building crowds and police around her.

 

“I’m on the scene at the old abandoned warehouse just outside of town where the mastermind behind all of these robberies- no name was given, we just hear a voice from an intercom every once and awhile- is holding Liam Payne, age 18 inside the building.” She says and Zayn’s blood runs cold.

 

“No…” He says softly. This was the entire reason behind the mask, why he had to hid! He didn’t want anyone close to him getting hurt he couldn’t-

 

“We’re getting a message from the mastermind right now!” The lady on the TV says as a cold somewhat staticy voice comes on.

 

“Oh Spider-Man,” it says in a sing-song voice. “Don’t you want to come save him?” There’s a laugh at chills Zayn to the bones. “Well, let’s just say if you’re not here with him and I in say, oh, how does 20 minutes sound to you? You’re right, too easy. Let’s make it 10. If you’re not here in 10 minutes, well, little Liam here is going to be in a lot of pain.” The voice cuts out but Zayn’s already jumping up the steps and searching for his suit.

 

“Zayn, mate, you have to think clearly!” Niall’s yelling at him over the phone.

 

“He has Liam.” Is all Zayn says, yanking off his clothes and tugging on his suit as quickly as he can, steel running through his veins.

 

“At least let me give you some gadgets-” Niall starts to say.

 

“No time.” Zayn replies. “And I don’t need them. I’m doing this my way and either way, this ends tonight Niall. I am done with lowlife criminals trying to come in here and ruin this city. I want a normal life, I know I won’t always have one, but I want to go on dates with Liam and not have to worry about if someone is going to rob a bank or kill someone or- or fuck up something else! I’m going to end these assholes and show this crime ridden fucked up town who it belongs to. And it’s not the criminals. It’s _me_.”

 

________________________________________________

 

Realistically, Zayn knew there were going to be people guarding throughout the building.

 

Realistically, Zayn doesn’t give a shit.

 

Like, seriously? Zayn is so pissed off he wants to run into some lowlife fucking goons so he can beat the living crap out of them before doing the same to their boss and explaining everything to Liam.

 

He gets his wish pretty easily because the second he lands on the roof of the building, the people guarding up there are flanking him and trying to take him down. He works on autopilot, fighting one, two, three, four different people at once, the only thought on his mind being Liam and getting to him as quickly as he possible can. Zayn knocks out the last person, tossing another off the roof before moving down through the building.

 

It’s like each floor of the building is a new level, each floor having harder and harder goons to beat.

 

But he does it.

 

Zayn focuses on his need to get to Liam, to save him, to tell him how sorry he is for dragging him into this stupid fucking mess and tell him-

 

Just tell him everything, being completely honest to him for once since they started talking.

 

Zayn doesn’t know how he does it, but he makes it to the basement, the last floor in the building. His suit is ripped in places and he knows he’s bleeding but he sees Liam sitting in the middle of the room, tied to a chair and gagged, he doesn’t even think just starts running towards him.

 

That’s when he steps on a trigger plate, ropes flying out of no where and wrapping around him tightly, cocooning him almost like-

 

Almost like what a spider would to whatever flew into their webs.

 

“Symbolic, isn’t it? The spider being caught in a web.” The same voice that made the announcement says, as he comes out of the shadows. He looks older, maybe in his fifties as he walks towards the middle of the room and clicks a stop watch in his hand. “8 minutes and 14 seconds. I’m almost impressed.” He turns to Liam. “What do you think son? Could he had done better?”

 

Son?

 

Suddenly everything flies through Zayn’s brain, linking up to the only missing peice.

 

_“Well consider this the city’s thank you, from the son of your biggest hater.”_

 

_“I supp’se someone could’a gotten on easier if dey had the same computer or maybe if dey were connected somehow to the guy’s wifi, dunno how Liam got on though mate.”_

 

Liam’s father was the mastermind behind all of this.

 

“Don’t touch him you scum.” Zayn spits out as Liam’s father’s hand moves towards Liam.

 

“Don’t tell me what to do, you petty insect.” He spits out, stepping towards Zayn before gaining control of himself again. “I never intended for you to get involved son.” He says, turning around to face Liam as Zayn starts to plan a way out of the restraints. He wiggles a bit, but they don’t budge or move on him. “You see, Spider-Man here was supposed to pick a nice little lady, someone no one would really care for when she ended up dead, but, son you always did have… Meddling ways.” He sighs, shaking his head like a disappointed parent and Zayn wants to really fucking punch him. “But I never would have figured out who you were-” he points at Zayn “-without your help Liam, really, thank you. You’ve made this all possible.” He smiles at Zayn, a cold heartless smile. “You see, your little spidey friend here came and cut himself open on the side of you balcony and I over heard you talking to that Tomlinson boy about it well, I was able to get the blood and sent it off to the lab to find out who are Spider-Man here really is… Or should I just call you-” He’s beside Zayn now, an ugly smug grin on his face as he rips Zayn’s mask off of him. “Zayn.”

 

Liam’s eyes widen in surprise. “I was going to tell you Liam, eventually but-” Zayn starts to say and Liam shakes his head. He can’t talk with the gag in his mouth but the look that his eyes send Zayn tells him everything’s fine and Zayn can’t help but smile back at him, a plan coming into his head as he does so.

 

“What are you smiling about?” His father demands, seeing Zayn’s grin.

 

Zayn’s grin just grows and he really can’t help it. “Do you know what happens when a spider gets caught in a web?” He laughs. “Let me tell you a little secret. They don’t.” The roping breaks off of him, webs shooting out as they do and he’s free and the look of terror in Liam’s father’s eyes tell him that there wasn’t a plan if this had happened.

 

“M-Men!” He stutters out but no one comes to his call and Zayn smirks, stalking towards him.

 

“You should really hire better hit man if you’re trying to take me out.” He says. “But didn’t you hear? It’s bad luck to kill a spider.”

 

The man scrambles backwards trying to get out but Zayn barely even reacts. He throws up his hand, palm back and pulling inside for his webs and shooting them out. They entangle around Liam’s father quickly, wrapping around him and causing him to fall to the ground but Zayn doesn’t pay attention to him, really, just runs over to Liam, taking the gag off of him first.

 

“Shit, babe, are you ok?” Zayn asks in a worried voice, hands flying everywhere but not really touching him just in case he is hurt.

 

“Uh I think my butt is numb, honestly.” Liam says, letting out a small laugh. “My wrist kinda hurt do you mind-”

 

Zayn’s eyes widen. “Shit, sorry.” He says, going to the ties when he feels the familiar tingling in the back of his sulk. He whips around just in time to see Liam’s father trying to tackle him, still tied up in the web. Zayn just hits him with another web, this time aiming so it pulls him back and attaches him to the wall across from them before going back to Liam’s wrists. Zayn’s sure to be careful, not wanting to hurt Liam anymore than he may be already.

 

After his wrists are untied, both of them work on the other knots and before they know it, Liam’s free and he’s throwing himself at Zayn, hugging him tightly. “I was so worried.” He whispers and Zayn can’t help but let out a choked laugh.

 

“You were worried?” He asks, eyes stinging slightly. “Just imagine me, my boyfriend got kidnapped.”

 

“Yeah well, my dad was tell me his plans to kill you so I was kinda freaked.” Liam says pulling back only slightly to rest his forehead against Zayn’s. “You’re not hurt right?”

 

“Just a few more bruises, maybe a couple scars.” Zayn whispers back, lips brushing just slightly as they talk. “Nothing I’m not used to.”

 

They hear a groan over from where Liam’s father is tied up and they’re brought back to the real world. “I should get the police. And give you back to them, I suppose.” Zayn muses, pulling back reluctantly from Liam to go grab his mask. “Unless…” He grins at Liam. “How would you feel about going through the city with me?”

 

________________________________________________

 

“This is insane!” Liam yells, tightening his grip on Zayn as he laughs.

 

They had left the exact same way Zayn came, only stopping for him to yell down to the police that the mastermind was down in the basement before they were off flying through the city on Zayn’s webs and Liam was terrified to say the very least.

 

“This is the only way to get around the city Li.” He laughs, taking the familiar route to his house. He let’s them drop low too, if only to hear Liam shriek and have him tighten his death grip even more.

 

“You’re doing that on purpose!” Liam says with a pout.

 

“It’s funny.” Zayn can’t help but laugh, as he swings them up to Liam’s balcony and landing effortlessly. Liam still doesn’t loosen their grip when they land. “Babe, you can let go. Steady ground and all.”

 

Liam shakes his head, shoving it into Zayn’s neck. “I fucking hate you so much right now and you’re making that up to me by carrying me to bed.”

 

Zayn laughs at his tone but complies, using his enhanced strength to pick Liam up fully, carrying him through the unlocked door and over to his bed, dropping him in it as softly as he can. As he goes to step back though, Liam just frowns at him. “What?” He asks, confused.

 

“Come.” Liam beckons and Zayn takes a step closer, confused, causing Liam to roll his eyes. “I meant in the bed Zayn.”

 

His cheeks tint pink. “Oh.” He says, tugging off his mask. “Do you actually mind if I borrow some sweats? Spandex gets itchy.”

 

Liam laughs and waves him off. “Help yourself, but hurry up. I’m in shock, y’know, I need to be cuddled.”

 

Zayn stumbles over to his dresser, opening a couple drawers before he finds the ones that have tee shirts and sweatpants and tugging out what looks like the smallest ones. He glances over at Liam, finding him what him. “What?” He asks with a laugh.

 

“Your butt looks fit in spandex.” He admits without a care in the world, grinning at Zayn like a madman. Zayn rolls his eyes fondly, turning back around to tug off the suit. “You’re wearing the dog tags.”

 

Zayn laughs, looking down at his chest. “Yeah I wear ‘em all the time.” He admits, pulling on the pants.

 

“Even under the suit?” Liam asks shyly even if he already knows the answers.

 

“Especially under the suit.” Zayn replies, pulling the shirt over his head. The pants had to be tied tightly to stay around his waist, but there’s nothing he can do for the way the shirt falls off one of his shoulders, exposing his collarbone completely. He just shrugs slightly, trying to fix it before shoving his suit underneath Liam’s bed in case someone comes in and speaking of- “Where’s your mum?” Zayn asks curiously as he climbs into the bed.

 

“She’s up visiting Ruth in Canada.” Liam pauses. “I think he planned that.” He whispers and Zayn automatically feels like shit for asking so he wraps his arms around Liam, dragging himself onto his chest so he doesn’t feel so alone.

 

“Sorry.” Zayn whispers back, looking into Liam’s eyes.

 

He shakes his head, threading a hand through Zayn’s soft hair. “Don’t be. You didn’t turn him into an evil mastermind.”

 

Zayn flinches because, he sort of did. “I sorta did.” He admits softly.

 

Liam shakes his head. “No, you didn’t. He would’ve gone crazy eventually, I’m just glad no one got seriously hurt.”

 

Zayn frowns softly. “You can cry.” He says in a soft voice after a couple moments. “If you want to cry over who he was, I would never judge you.”

 

Liam bites his lip, his eyes watering as he continues to play with Zayn’s hair. A few tears fall out and then Zayn rests his head on his chest, no longer looking up at him. He hums softly under his breath, an old nursery song that his own father used to sing to him, comforting Liam as he cries over who his own father used to be.

 

________________________________________________

 

**3 MONTHS LATER**

 

Zayn was sitting across from Liam’s apartment, the cold January air causing his breath to go white as he watches Liam talk on the phone in his room. He didn’t do this often, pull an Edward Cullen and sit outside his boyfriend’s bedroom and watch him but, fuck, today he just needs it.

 

He was going to break up with Liam today.

 

Not because Zayn wants to or anything, god no, it was just too dangerous. He couldn’t- He couldn’t want Liam get hurt because they were too involved. He needs to shut down the selfish part of him, the part that screams at him to just take Liam and run and hide away from everyone and everything to be with him and instead listen to the rational part of him, the part that tells him he has a duty to protect this city, including Liam.

 

Zayn takes a deep breath in before swinging over to Liam’s balcony, knocking on the door softly. Liam opens it with a big grin, ushering him inside.

 

“It’s freezin’ out there love.” Liam greets him as he shut the door. “Hope you didn’t sit out there for too long.”

 

Zayn shakes his head, biting his lip. “Look, Liam, we need to talk.”

 

“Really?” Liam smirks, coming closer and putting his warm hands on Zayn’s waist, pulling him closer and resting their foreheads together. “Because I can think of something else we can do with our lips that would be a lot more enjoyable.” He waggles his eyebrows cheekily and Zayn can’t help but laugh.

 

“Li, I’m serious.” He says but he lets himself rest his head.

 

“Is it about you breaking up with me?” Liam asks in a causal voice, like they were talking about the weather or something.

 

Zayn starts trying to splutter out a reply. “What- how did you-?” He asks and Liam shrugs.

 

“Babe, I know you.” He says in a soft voice. “And I know that you don’t want to and that you think you’re protecting me but guess what? Nothing bad has happened to be in months.”

 

“But that doesn’t mean something isn’t going to happen!” Zayn protests loudly before lowering his voice to a whisper. “I just want to protect you.”

 

“Then do it from beside me Zayn.” Liam whispers softly, their lips close enough that they brush with every movement. “Don’t try and play the martyr card sunshine. Stay.”

 

Zayn bites his lip. He wants to more than anything but… “What if you get hurt?” He whispers in a soft voice. It would kill him if Liam got hurt because of him.

 

“Then you’ll have to patch me up for once.” He says like it’s not big deal. “I’m a big boy Z, I can take care of myself.”

 

It wasn’t that Zayn actually wants to leave Liam, so it’s not a hard decision to make. “Fuck, Liam,” Zayn breaks. “I couldn’t leave you if I tried.” He admits in a small whispers.

 

“Me too.” Liam laughs, kissing him softly.

 

The kiss turns from soft to hard and dirty quickly, especially when Liam’s hands move from Zayn’s hips down to his ass, squeeze it gently while Zayn moans into his mouth, hands tangling into his hair tightly before forcing Liam to walk backwards, hitting the bed and falling into it, Zayn on top.

 

The two boys move up the bed, getting more comfortable before Zayn goes back to straddling Liam with a grin on his face as he looks down at Liam.

 

How could he ever think he could give him up?

 

Zayn leans down, hands steadying himself on Liam’s chest as he does so, kissing him slowly as he moves his hips in a circle, grinding down on Liam who tightens his grip on Zayn’s waist. “Fuck you look so hot like this.” Liam groans out when Zayn moves down to his neck, leaving as many marks as he can. “Wonder what you would look like riding my cock.” He breathes out, making Zayn moan loudly. Liam had a fucking way with words in bed, driving Zayn crazy with a simple sentence.

 

“Fuck, babe, want to.” He whines out, moving his hips quicker. They hadn’t gone that far yet (the full on butt thing, as Harry so lovingly called it) but they had talked about it before (Zayn tried to not cringe at the embarrassing thought).

 

“L-love.” Liam grunts out after a particularly good grind down. “There’s lube and condoms in the bedside table i-if you want to.”

 

Zayn moans and leans over to get them (god he was so on board with this), giving Liam the perfect opportunity to start marking up his neck. He blindly searches for the bottle and wrapper before finally finding them and going back to his spot in Liam’s lap with a grin. He puts the stuff next to Liam before stripping off his shirt and Liam’s eyes automatically rake down his chest.

 

With anyone else, he’d feel self conscious about his scars and the few healing cuts but with Liam, he understood them. Liam feathers his fingers over a couple of the larger ones, before sitting up to, so they’re faces are close together and tugs off his own shirt, throwing it somewhere else in his room before laying back down with a lazy grin. “Gonna make me do all the work?” Zayn asks and Liam just grins up at him still, winking.

 

“Dunno, thought maybe I’d have a nice nap- ow!” Liam yells when Zayn pinches his nipple before lower his mouth to it with a grin, tongue flicking over it lightly before he clamps his mouth down on it, gently playing with it as he grinds his hips down as best he can with the awkward angle. “F-fuck Z.”

 

Zayn grins, pulling back before shimming down Liam’s body and to his pants, tugging them down with the boxers in one swift motion before taking his own off and before he realises it, Liam’s rolled them over and he’s on top now. “Wanna prep you underneath me.” He whispers in Zayn’s ear breathlessly, letting his hips grind down, their bare dick brushing up against each other, causing both to moan. “Love the way you look underneath me babe.” He says, grinding down again as he grabs the bottle of lube, putting a generous amount on his fingers before moving them so he can reach down to Zayn’s hole. “This ok?” Liam whispers against his lis, an honest look in his eyes as his fingers hover at Zayn’s entrance.

 

“Babe if you don’t put your fingers in my now, I’ll get off by myself.” Zayn threatens, trying to push back on his fingers.

 

“Fuck, next time.” Liam says, pushing his first finger in to the first knuckle. “Would love to see you jack off.” He says, slowly working the finger in. There’s a bit of pain but Zayn focuses on the pleasure and Liam’s voice. “Wanna hear all the sounds you make.” He breaths out. “Do you think about me?”

 

Zayn nods, letting out a moan as Liam moves his finger faster, curling it a bit, searching for that one spot. “Think about you fucking me so hard I can’t walk the next day, covered in your marks.”

 

Liam’s hand on his waist tightens at that and Zayn knows there’ll be a bruise there tomorrow and fuck if that doesn’t make him moan, especially when a second finger is added.

 

They continue like that until Zayn is a breathless moaning mess beneath Liam as he fucks three of his fingers into Zayn. “Still want to ride me?” Liam whispers filthily in Zayn’s ear, tugging on the lobe of it with his teeth.

 

“Fuck, yeah.” Zayn nods and all of a sudden, his view changes and he’s sitting on Liam’s chest, his hands steadying him on Liam. He grabs the condom, ripping it open with slightly shaky hands before slipping it onto Liam and using the hand to get Liam’s dick to the entrance of his hole when he lifts his hips up. He slowly sinks down on it, stopping at certain points when it feels like to too much because, fuck, he’s kinda huge.

 

“Y-you ok?” Liam moans, trying to stop himself from fucking up into Zayn’s tight heat.

 

Zayn nods, bottoming out with a moan. He waits a few moments before wiggling his hips, causing Liam’s grip on his waist to tighten as he grins. “Like that?” He asks, doing it again and causing Liam to moan. Zayn lifts himself up, before dropping back down again slowly and then wiggling his hips again. He keeps doing that, faster and faster and then suddenly Liam bends his knees and his dick slides in just right, hitting that certain spot and causing Zayn to moan out his name loudly. “Liam, babe, there.” He whines, quickening his pace and Liam thrust his hips up to meet him half way.

 

Zayn’s moaning and pant above him loudly now, dick bobbing as he moves quickly, red and so so hard and then Liam gets a hand around it, fuck, Zayn’s gone after a couple strokes, emptying himself across Liam’s chest as he fucks up into him, chasing his own release. He gets it a couple seconds later, tensing up and coming into the condom.

 

“You look like a mess Z.” Liam giggles a few moments later, pulling out of Zayn and causing both of them to wince at the over sensitivity and Liam takes off the condom, tying it off and tossing it in the trash.

 

“Yeah well I just had sex so.” Zayn says bluntly as he rolls off of Liam, getting comfy on the soft bed. He can feel his bones melting into the bed, eyes dropping.Liam rolls out of the bed, causing Zayn to pout and open his eyes, looking over at him. “Where are you going? Sex means most sex-cuddles. I demand to be cuddled Liam.”

 

Liam laughs, quickly kissing him on the forehead. “Just gonna go get a warm cloth to clean us up then I’ll be right back babe. I wouldn’t pass up cuddles with you for anything.”

 

Zayn nods, satisfied with his answer as Liam ducks out into the hall and over to the bathroom to get a wash cloth and he’s back in moments, gently wiping Zayn down before tossing it in his dirty clothes pile and climbing back into bed beside him. Zayn automatically wraps his body around Liam, head on his chest and making a happy noise.

 

“You’re happy.” Liam mumbles, handing petting through Zayn’s hair and causing him to make another hapy noise.

 

“M’always happy.” Zayn protests softly.

 

Liam kisses his forehead. “Happier than usual then.”

 

“I just lost my virginity to probably the best boyfriend ever so yeah, I’m kinda ecstatic.” Zayn mutters, face going pink at the admission that he was a virgin before all… That.

 

“You were-” Liam starts to say in a surprised voice.

 

“Don’t have many opportunities to get ride of it, in case you never noticed.” Zayn says in a clipped voice.

 

Liam frowns at his sudden mood change. “Sunshine, you know I didn’t mean it like that.” He kisses the top of his head again as Zayn settles back next to him.

 

“I know, sorry.” Zayn says softly. “S’just embarrassing. I’m almost 18 and I just lost it.”

 

“I wish I waited till you.” Liam admits in a very small voice. “I-I know we’re only teenagers but I love you Z.”

 

Zayn grins against Liam’s neck, looking up at him. “I love you too babe.” He says in a fond voice, leaning up to kiss Liam softly.

 

It didn’t matter in that moment, what Zayn could do with his mutant powers or what evil asshole was going to try and take over the city next, just that Zayn loves Liam and Liam loves him back. That was all that mattered to him right then and there. 

**Author's Note:**

> Blame Michaela for Liam's nickname Sunshine bc I lost it. Also, orginally Louis and Harry had bigger parts but then I forgot about them. 
> 
> Oops.  
> find me on tumblr at [squishyliampayne](http://squishyliampayne.tumblr.com/)


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